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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25904722">Date in Hell</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois'>Denois</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Check Please! (Webcomic)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Background Chowder, First Date, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, dex pov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:49:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25904722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denois/pseuds/Denois</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"See you later." - Nursey</p>
<p>"See you in hell." - Dex</p>
<p>"Uh, I accept." - Nursey</p>
<p>Dex hadn't intended to ask Nursey on a date, but if Nursey was going to accept, he wasn't going to miss his chance. He just had to figure out how to show Nursey a good time in hell.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>159</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Date in Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/draskireis">Draskireis</a> for the beta and support and such. I cannot thank you enough for how frequently you let me yell about these two idiots in love and help me make my writing better. Everyone else should go read his fic and appreciate it as much as I do.</p>
<p>This fic is inspired by this text exchange.</p>
<p>
  
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Frogs were at the Haus. </p>
<p>The Frogs were almost always at the Haus when they weren’t at class or practice (or work, for Dex). Dex was pretty sure they had defaulted to hanging out there out of an unspoken consideration for him. They could have hung out in any of their rooms, but then they might have been intruding in someone’s space. And it was a little hard to ignore the fact that for all that they each had a room in the student athlete dorms, their dorms were not the same. </p>
<p>But the Haus was good. It was neutral territory. It worked. Chowder and Nursey didn’t have to do that thing where rich people feel bad about being rich because Dex’s dorm was small. Nursey didn’t have to feel uncomfortable with Dex in his dorm. And Chowder could walk off and ignore them if they started chirping each other and annoyed him. </p>
<p>It was perfect. </p>
<p>Dex just had to keep himself from looking over at Nursey all the time and it was almost like they were just three best friends. Which, they were. But they were three best friends where one had a massive crush on one of the others. And the others were aware. Luckily, Nursery’s response to Dex’s crush had been to chirp him about it and to feign flirting. </p>
<p>Which wasn’t ideal, but he could deal with it. It was better than being ostracized. It was better than losing his friends. His crush was his problem, not theirs. He could live with being chirped about it when he slipped up and glanced at Nursey too many times or something.</p>
<p>It was just hard not to look at Nursey. </p>
<p>Not because he was attractive, though he was definitely that. But Dex could look at just about any member of the team if he wanted to look at someone just because they were attractive. It was because he was so...Nursey. And when Nursey was himself, when he thought no one was looking, when he wasn’t putting on a “chill” act to be what he thought people expected of him. In those rare moments, Nursey was damn near the most beautiful thing on Earth.</p>
<p>Dex hadn’t realized it at first, how lucky he was to get to see that, how lucky he was that Nursey let his guard down around him so frequently. Then again, it’s hard to feel lucky when he was being yelled at. It took him awhile to realize that it was rare for Nursey to let anyone see <em>any</em> emotion other than Chill. But anger wasn’t Chill. From Nursey, it was passion and a desire for justice. A demand to do better. </p>
<p>So Dex tried. </p>
<p>And he tried not to stare at Nursey. </p>
<p>But he must have failed because after he peeled his gaze away yet again and tried to focus on his notes, Nursey pulled them out of his hands a moment later and then dropped into his lap. </p>
<p>“Hey Poindexter. D-man selfie, smile.” </p>
<p>Then Nursey’s face was pressed against his and Nursey was taking their picture. Dex didn’t have a chance to respond or even protest or do much of anything other than try to keep Nursey from falling off his lap before Nursey was standing back up and grabbing his stuff. </p>
<p>“I’ve got Poetry Seminar, but don’t worry Dexadoo. I’ll make you instagram famous, yet. I’ll show this around my group, get some ladies’ numbers for you. See you later. Later, C.” Nursey dropped a wink and then left the Haus before Dex had fully processed the situation.</p>
<p>Normally, he’d let it drop. Trying to explain that he didn’t get women’s numbers because he wasn’t trying to wheel women hadn’t helped. Nursey did what Nursey wanted. It’s part of what made Nursey, Nursey. Which meant Dex wouldn’t change it if he could. </p>
<p>Still, Dex texted Nursey a response since he’d left so quickly.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>See you in hell.</p>
</blockquote><p>He knew Nursey would take it in stride. That’s how their friendship worked and if Nursey had felt the need to chirp Dex about his crush, then that meant Dex needed to reaffirm that they were friends first and foremost and always.</p>
<p>He was shocked when he received a response from Nursey, apparently sent before the seminar started.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p>uh are u asking me on a date? i accept</p>
</blockquote><p>Dex nearly dropped his phone, but managed to grab it. Swallowing hard, he mumbled an excuse and then fled from the Haus to his dorm where he proceeded to pace for an hour.</p>
<p>Logically, it was almost certain that Nursey was just chirping him again. Rationally, if Dex texted back to see if Nursey was serious, Nursey would laugh at him and their friendship would fall apart because Dex took him seriously. Realistically, the only sensible thing for Dex to do was to ignore the text. </p>
<p>Where would he even take Nursey on a date?</p>
<p>More specifically, where would he take him on a date at the last minute? He’d thought of plenty of places he’d like to take Nursey but they all required time or money or both.</p>
<p>By the time he was standing outside of Nursey’s dorm, he had a full plan. Not for what to do on the date, but for what to do when Nursey laughed in his face for thinking he could take Nursey on a date. </p>
<p>First, he would play it off as calling Nursey’s bluff. Then, he’d go to the woods in Northern Maine and keep going until he wasn’t sure if he was in Maine or Canada anymore, change his name and assume a new identity as a forest dwelling hermit. It was a pretty solid plan. </p>
<p>He knocked on Nursey’s door.</p>
<p>Nursey unfairly answered the door without a shirt on. </p>
<p>No, it was perfectly fair. Dex’s crush was his problem, not Nursey’s. It was perfectly fair for Nursey to lounge topless in his own dorm if that’s what he wanted to do. It just made it difficult for Dex to keep his resolve in calling Nursey’s bluff. </p>
<p>Calling Nursey’s bluff. That’s all he was doing.</p>
<p>“Not done getting ready yet?” He raised an eyebrow. “Or were you planning on standing me up?”</p>
<p>Nursey didn’t respond, just stared at him silently.</p>
<p>Dex started weighing the various merits of US Route 1 versus Route 11 to get to a nice wooded spot near the Maine-Canada border. He hadn’t progressed very far in making a decision when Nursey mumbled something and closed the door. Closing his eyes and cursing himself, he backed up until he was against the wall opposite Nursey’s room and let his head fall back against it sharply. </p>
<p>He hadn’t even gotten a chance to say it was a chirp. That he was just calling Nursey’s bluff. Because of course Nursey hadn’t meant it. Only an idiot would think that Nursey would actually accept a date from Dex. He was a giant fucking stupid idiot who ruined his friendships and deserved to go spend the rest of his life as a hermit in the woods where he couldn’t accidentally creep on anyo-</p>
<p>“Chill. Ready now.” </p>
<p>Dex opened his eyes to see Nursey locking his dorm door, wearing a nice berry red sweater that looked both incredibly soft and incredibly expensive. And incredibly attractive. He swallowed hard. </p>
<p>He shoved his hands deep into his pockets before he did something embarrassing like try to hold Nursey’s hand and headed for the elevators with Nursey beside him. They didn’t talk on the way out of the building, or across campus to the lot where he parked his truck.</p>
<p>“Where are you taking me?”</p>
<p>Eyes dutifully on the road, Dex lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Hell.” </p>
<p>It was where he’d said he’d see Nursey when Nursey agreed, and if Nursey was just bluffing then it would definitely feel like he was in hell.</p>
<p>“Alright chill, keep your secrets. But, so you know, if you’re just playing gay chicken, I <em>will</em> win. I’m fully prepared to marry you if it gets to that point.”</p>
<p>“Fucking hell, Nurse.” Dex turned and stared at Nursey’s grin.</p>
<p>A blaring horn forced him to tear his attention away and back to the road as he swerved back into his own lane. </p>
<p>“You can’t just say shit like that.” His hands felt shaky on the wheel and he gripped it tighter to get ahold of himself. </p>
<p>Nursey didn’t reply, just laughed quietly to himself. He didn’t say anything the rest of the trip either. Until the truck was parked and Dex was reaching for the latch to his seatbelt. </p>
<p>Dex stilled and looked up when Nursey’s hand landed on his shoulder. </p>
<p>“Ok, if you <em>are</em> just playing gay chicken here, then you win. Let’s go get d-man crunchwraps or something.”</p>
<p>“I said hell and that’s where you accepted a date for. If you were just chirping me….” He trailed off. </p>
<p>He’d already said too much. Nursey kept giving him an out by saying it was all gay chicken. Which was honestly the stupidest frat boy way to be both homoerotic and homophobic simultaneously, and getting worked up about that wasn’t relevant right then. But either way, he’d blown his chance to laugh it all off as a bluff or chirp or anything other than what it was. Nursey knew about his crush. He’d known when he sat on Dex’s lap that afternoon. He’d known when he replied to Dex’s text. He’d known when he got dressed in that stupid beautiful sweater. </p>
<p>He glanced out the window to the front of Helltown Kitchen. It was unassuming, understated even. No flashy colors or bright lights to attract random visitors. Just a small, elegant sign with the name of the restaurant and the chef. He knew what he was getting himself into. He unlatched his seatbelt. </p>
<p>“If you were serious about accepting a date with me, this is where I’m taking you. I have a reservation. If you were chirping me, then, sure. I’ll buy you some Taco Hell and take you back to your dorms and you can laugh at me.” </p>
<p>He couldn’t bear to look at Nursey, to see the laughter, to watch as he picked what chirp to destroy Dex with. Instead he heard the other seatbelt unlatch.</p>
<p>“Chill. If you have a reservation.” </p>
<p>Dex was stunned silent as they got out of the truck. He could barely confirm his reservation with the maitre d’ and reiterate that Nursey was his guest. Once they were sat at their table and glasses of water had been provided along with menus, he still couldn’t stop staring at Nursey in disbelief. </p>
<p>“I can cover dinner tonight.” </p>
<p>Dex started shaking his head. “No. I asked you out. I’m paying.”</p>
<p>“Will…” Nursey trailed off after saying his name.</p>
<p>It didn’t matter, Dex knew what he was trying to say without saying. He’d had to make sure when he made the reservation that coats and ties weren’t required (they weren’t or he’d have let Nursey know when he picked him up), and still most of the other customers were wearing them. He’d checked the online menu for prices. It was going to make the next couple of months tight. Uncomfortably tight. But he’d known what he was getting himself into when he made the reservation. </p>
<p>Nursey was worth it.</p>
<p>“It’s fine, Derek.” He paused to savor the feeling of saying Nursey’s name out loud. “I can take you out to a nice dinner in Hell.”</p>
<p>“If you’re trying to impress me, it’s not necessary. I’d honestly prefer crunchwraps. But <em>apparently</em> I only get those if I’m not dating you. So, no more crunchwraps for me.” </p>
<p>Nursey’s smile was soft and genuine, completely free of chirps and Dex returned it before reaching out for his hand. </p>
<p>“Maybe not ‘no more crunchwraps.’ Just not tonight. Because this definitely can’t be a daily occurrence.”</p>
<p>Nursey’s fingers laced through his easily. Like they were meant to be joined together. </p>
<p>“God, I hope not. The restaurant, the rest is chill for daily.” </p>
<p>Dex squeezed his hand. “Mad chill for daily.”</p>
<p>It was difficult to eat one handed, but neither of them moved to pull their hands apart, so they somehow managed it. Nursey didn’t even spill anything. </p>
<p>Dex waited until after they were back in his truck, with Nursey sitting in the middle of the bench seat, his hand warm on Dex’s thigh, and still he didn’t ask the question pushing against the back of his teeth. He waited until they were back on campus, and Nursey’s arm was arm around his waist, and still he didn’t ask the question threatening to leap off his tongue. He waited until they were outside of Nursey’s dorm, the door unlocked and ajar. </p>
<p>“Do you want to be my boyfriend? I mean, if this was a one time thing for you, that’s cool. That’s cool.” He felt his ears heating and ducked his head.</p>
<p>“Of course I want to be your boyfriend, Dexy. But if you think that restaurants like that are the kind of thing I’m looking for. Are you sure you want to be mine?”</p>
<p>Dex groaned. “There is a shocking lack of places named Hell in Massachusetts. I figured this was better than Fiddle Hell all the way up in Westford.” </p>
<p>Nursey’s laughter was beautiful. “From now on, don’t take me to any Hell except Taco Hell. But, uh, do you want to come in?”</p>
<p>Dex stepped into Nursey’s room with a nod. “Can I kiss you?”</p>
<p>“That’s the idea.” </p>
<p>The door clicked shut behind them as Dex cradled Nursey’s jaw and brought their lips together. Soft but firm, then again, and again.</p>
<p>He simply couldn’t be upset that a date in Hell had been rerouted to what must be heaven.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sometimes I post things on tumbls, so if you want to follow me or talk to me there or whatever, you can find me at <a href="https://sexydexynurse.tumblr.com/">SexyDexyNurse</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://helltownkitchen.com/">Helltown Kitchen is an actual restaurant in Provincetown, MA.</a> I have moved it closer to Samwell and increased the nice-for-RICH-people factor a bit (Nice for rich alums vs nice for rich people on vacay). Otherwise, there is probably no similarities between the real restaurant and the one appearing in this fic.</p>
<p><a href="https://fiddlehell.org/">Fiddle Hell is a real thing in Westford, MA.</a> Other than the fact that Dex wouldn't think it was Nursey's kind of thing, it's also a weekend of workshops and stuff on playing stringed instruments, while the concerts and stuff they do are referred to as something else, I think. </p>
<p>Taco Hell is, of course, an affectionate nickname for Taco Bell. </p>
<p>Heaven, according to Dex, is smorching Nursey.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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